| |
From "The Jewish Holidays in Chasidic
Philosophy"
The liturgy of Chanukah states that the Greeks wanted the Jews
to forget "Your Torah and violate the decrees of Your will", not
the laws themselves, but their G-dliness. Thus, the main set of laws that the Greeks
opposed were "chukim", ones that have no logical explanation. These
include the laws of ritual purity and impurity, the prohibition of mixing meat
and dairy together, the prohibition of wearing a garment made of a combination
of wool and linen, etc. The Greeks wanted these particular laws done away with
and Chasidic philosophy explains that this is why the Greeks defiled the oil -
in order to nullify the super-rational concept of purity and impurity.  | | " Oil is compared to intellect...." | | |
Although the Greeks defiled all the utensils in the Holy Temple,
the liturgy only mentions that "when the Greeks entered into the Holy Temple,
they defiled all the oils of the Temple". This confirms that the Greeks put
special emphasis on defiling the oil. It is also significant that the Greeks
defiled the oil, rather than disposing of it. The key concept here is what
oil symbolizes. Oil is compared to intellect; just as oil always rises to the
top when mixed with another liquid, intellect is unique in that it can be
objective by removing itself from emotions and rising above them. Emotions and
the feeling of self are inseparable. Only intellect can rise above emotion and
achieve an understanding which can even be contrary to what emotions believe.
The intellect, ultimately, is able to change and control the emotions.
The Greek's goal was to attack the Jewish thought process by
contaminating their intellect and ultimately causing the Jews to think like
them. The contaminated intellect of the Greeks for the most part prevailed;
indeed they succeeded in "defining the oil" in that many Jews became Hellenists,
assimilating into Greek culture. | | " A Jew is always united with the essence of the Infinite G-d...." | | |
Nevertheless, the Jew possesses something far deeper than
intellect and indeed totally beyond it, the essence of his soul, known as the " Yechida".
This is symbolized by the intact jar of pure olive oil sealed by the High
Priest. On the level of Yechida, a Jew is always united with the essence
of the Infinite G-d, and nothing can interfere with this connection. When the
Hasmoneans realized that the Greeks were seeking to destroy their attachment to
G-d, they awakened this part of their soul and exhibited self-sacrifice to
preserve the essence of their religion.
Although the odds were against them in that they were a small
minority even among their fellow Jews - let alone compared to the mighty Greek
forces, they went forth to meet the enemy, even though logically it was
inconceivable that they would win. Their self-sacrifice, which stems from the
level of Yechida, elicited from G-d supernatural powers that made them
victorious. Since, spiritually speaking, the Jews aroused their Yechida -
their "intact jar of pure olive oil sealed by the High Priest" - there was a
corresponding physical manifestation in their discovery of the intact jar of oil
sealed by the High Priest.
On the jar was written "with the seal of the High Priest", even
though in order to be pure it is sufficient to have the seal of someone who is
expert in the laws of ritual purity. The concept of it being sealed with the
seal of the High Priest can be understood according to what the High Priest
represents spiritually, as indicated by a scriptural verse referring to Aaron
the High Priest as "holy of holies" (Chronicles I 23:13). Chasidic philosophy
explains (Sefer Hasichot 5750, vol. 1 Vayeishev) that the High Priest
represents the highest level of self-nullification to G-dliness reaching the
level of self-sacrifice that transcends reason. It was this power which was
aroused and enabled the Macabees to succeed.
|
